| Show WormS WormS- VIe PaLl Millions l F Feed ed f Sciences Science's Newest Discoveries 1 r a th w y 4 It i v I y r Q 4 y 7 r b v aa v s alp S y m a T aiA t T f fi i- i ib J A b o U t the Moths That Ra Ruin i n Ever Every Year Eno n h hA A i i Wool to Make 20 Sweaters and the Ugly Little Beetles That Do M c A ro 1 Almost as Much k f fc h l Li moo a Damage to Carpets I jand and Upholstery I m l lV lj V j ir of wool it is estimated is ruined r ry rY rh y h Ten thousand tons Y the United States by moth worms This t t a in every year t r 4 would be enough to make sweaters 1 It t would woul make cloth to supply an extensive wardrobe that she could stand ft for a woman so gigantic k I with one foot in Philadelphia and the other in F a 1 t Pittsburgh I t V Ii J The grub of the tive live carpet c beetle f ATEN up Gob Gob- Gobbled Gobbled EATEN 1 bled A perfect perfect- perfectly pel feet feet- i ly Iy good pair parr of ot pants Or perhaps It may be a 11 skirt ehart or a 11 fur 9 piece t J Merely holes of rr- rr Irregular r- r regular shape shape shap gnawed In two or three places perhaps bat the little litti worms worm might Jr-might mIght just as well wIl ell have hav de de- de soured the whole garment It Itis Is past mending and must mint iO go A Vinto into the th ragbag Moth worms of course cour The Th I same veracious creatures that have been disturbing mans man's peace of mind and eating holes into his hta for nobody knows how many ages Doubtless the prehistoric women who kept house in m caves cave had to be bi continually on their guard against them Just lust like our modern housewives It is certain that moths were ere well known In Biblical times If you have hav read your Bible carefully you will ail recall the th passage whIch urges us to lay up for treasures in m heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt nor thieves break breakthrough breakthrough breakthrough through and steal Clothes Clothe moths attack all sorts sort of fabrics that contain wool including car car- carpets carpets car peti pets and upholstery They eat furs furi and the bristles bristle of brushes Every very year in inthIs inthis inthis thIs country they do at least orth of damage and some Borne authorities think many many times that One On statistician estimates that the fabrics fabriC ruined by moths every very twelve twelvemonths twelvemonths months would bo enough to supply ly an e wardrobe for a woman so gigantic that she ha could stand with one foot in Pittsburgh and the other In Phila Phila- Philadelphia Philadelphia delphia Arother thinks the moth worms gob gobble ble up every ye year r fully ully tons of wool enough enough to make something like nice warm arm and stylish sweaters But the v wool they eat Is by no means all they cost cort us For roX protection agaInst them cold storage plants in every cIty and sized good-sized to town n sell tell Ben n ice and housewives spend In the aggregate gata an enormous turn sum annually for lor moth balls camphor cedar chests and other guru guards the whole of which must be b charged up to the tho clothes moths Not that the moth itself does docs doe any dam darn damage age It isone is one onn of the th most harmless of insects in the winged stage But its Ita off off- offsprIng offspring off offspring spring the little worms worms-oh worm oh m 1 The moth eats nothing It has ha no mouth When mating has ha been accomplished pushed and the female femal has laid her eggs the winged in insects die Having provIded for the perpetuation of their species theIr duty in life is done You see eo a moth fluttering about and you try to slap it between your hands The chances are about ten to ono one that y yen yent u udo t f do not succeed to so rapid and Irregular fare are Ito it aimless flitting fittings In a moment It Itis itis iti is vanished gone gone vanished What happens happen then What is liable liable to happen If it it be b a female is i that she h will 1 flutter about un- un unnoticed unnoticed unnoticed noticed until she ho finds some tome dark place where here woolen garments are hanging or where blankets blanket or furs lors for are aro stored stored-a stored r Y r rr ri rp i r p cr r r rA A piece of woolen attacked by moths and moth worms the latter Jatter busily engaged in cutting great holes in the cloth with their razor like jaws jaw I a closet perhaps or a box or trunk A female femal insect of any always lays her eggs egg v here there is food reedy ready at hand for her offspring when hatched Wool is rate first provender for lor the caterpillars of the clothes clothe though moth moth fur or bristles being likewise ise of animal ammal orIgin will serve seno as well well and and 1 so she Is happy to gain access to a skirt or coat and to deposit her eggs upon it prefer prefer- preferably preferably preferably ably in a 11 seam Beam eam of the lining or in m a pocket She lays about eggs and a week or ten days later the time required do pending da-pending pending upon temperature the worms worms- worm very very tiny of emerge course course emerge They begin feeding immediately and devote devot them them- themselves themselves selves to that business with most do- do destructive de destructive results The Th moth worm has ha no teeth to gnaw wIth It is provided by nature with ith a much more mor efficient apparatus You may get a notion of what it is like and how howIt howit howit It works if you will take two safety razor blades and rub their edges back and forth together The moth worm has hag an arrangement just like that in Its it mouth one razorblade razor razorblade razorblade blade in each Jaw law Its Jaws jaw are arc power power- fully powerfully muscular and it works I the tho two blades saw aw fashion to and fro fio one against the other Sharp Why the tho keenest razor blade is dullas dull as a a hoe boe compared with Ith the moth worms worm's worm cutting tools tool The edge of the best razor blade examined under a microscope is to be peen rough and ser ser- serrated serrated er rated The blades in the mouth of the moth worm under highest magnification show how edges edge perfectly smooth Their sharpness is almost inconceivable No wonder then that the little tittle cater cater- caterpillars caterpillars pillars can so much damage in a n short time Suppose that it IS i a II woolen gar gar- garment garment garment ment they are lire attacking It is made up of innumerable fibers woven together The moth worm orm keeps on sawing and sawing night and day s severing the th fibers one after another and reducing them to minute particles which it swallows lows los And what an appetite the worm hash has I It eats at least six times its own every twenty-four twenty hours At that rate what the house housewife Ife calls a moth hole j grows rows very rapidly and the offspring of one clothes clothe moth if undisturbed in their operations will literally riddle a gar gar- garment garment ment in m a week or two Of aU things good to eat moth worms worm seem eem to like blankets best bett Preferably the best and most expensive blankets of pure wool 1 It is noticed that a II grease greas spot pot on a garment attracts attract tho the lay egg lay ing ing female tenial presumably insect insect fatty matter is wholesome for lor the grow mg Ing caterpillars The clothes clothe moth undoubtedly is i atrop a trop trop- tropIcal tropical ical insect by origin It could not Mt eXIst In our Northern them latitudes but for tor the protection afforded in winter by rUl heated houses hou c Enjoying this thil ad- ad advantage advantage ad advantage vantage of an indoor temperature tc that thatIs thatIs thatis Is 1 warm arm at all seasons sea it may be seen been flying about in inhabited dwellings at al 1 almost most any time of the year In t t tie e winged stage it may live us long all as three weeks There is really no good reason hy damage should hould be bo allowed to be b done dono by clothes moths It is b easily and its Is usually due to care caro- 1 or neglect There are lf f many species of insects against find which it lt is hard to r tive means of defense but Iho the j clothes clothe moth is not one of them ij In seeking protection against the depredations depredation of clothes moths the capable housewife enJoys a most moat important a ad advantage advantage vantage in the tho fact that the eggs and worms worm are extremely delicate The former will not hatch and the latter will not survise if dIsturbed Thus clothing la le perfectly safe if it well brushed or beaten and if possible sunned ami and wrapped properly in m paper before put put- putting putting putting ting it away In brushing special attention should bo be paid to seams scams and pockets in m which dust and lint have collected Then wrap carefully and tightly in m several thick thick- thick thick-ne nesses se of newspapers ne or heavy wrapping rapping paper making sure that the paper at lit the ends of tho the bundle b i so 50 ben bent back ack upon Itself that no moth can crawl a aI I in Moths cannot eat tin through ough paper and the con con- con contents tents are ar safe so 80 o long as the wrapping remains unbroken i t Many housewives have lamented the theris rise in the th cost COEt of camphor deeming It more efficient than anything thing else ele el as n a means of defense against moths but e e- o made by the Bureau Dureau of Ento Ento- Entomology Entomology Entomology have proved that naphthalene in 10 inthe inthe balls i is de- de deCIdedly decidedly de decidedly the form of flakes or moth superior to camphor for the pur pur- purpose purpose pose N Naphthalene whIch winch is a lJ coal oal tar product is exceedingly cheap stuff tuff to manufacture and there is no reason for forthe forthe forthe the rec recent nt inCrease in m the price pric of it ex- ex except ex except that the output Is i trust controlled Often it happens that a closet becomes infested by moths which make mako their ap- ap appearance ap in it year after aftel year ear doing doing- re- re repeated ic and most annoying damage It may he De hard to get rid of them under such uch circumstances though there is a means by which they can be b surely ex- ex exterminated exterminated ex exterminated terminated All that is necessary is i to put a pmt pint of disulphide of carbon in m a shallow dl dish dishon dishon h hon on the tho top shelf of the closet and allow the stuff to evaporate as It t wilt wilF do In Inthe inthe inthe the course coulse of a few house houis The Th samo method may be applied to a n of clothing But Dut this method while absolutely ef- ef ef of effective c IS i hardly ardly to be b recommended lel to the everyday house housewife lIe for several everal 1 lea lea- sons leaf ea- ea eons The r being apor-being vapor being more than tWice as heavy henvy as air it overflows the dish and sinks dov downward p penetrating netra everywhere everY hero has lias a mo most t horrible odor Which IS not the I worst of it lt for the tho vapor is as inflammable as that of gasoline and oven the smoking of a cigarette where there Is much of it about may cause causo an all ex explosion Furthermore to breathe it is unsafe e especially for a person with a weak heart Of course tho the clothes moth goes through transformations like those thos of any other species species specie's of moth It is first an 1111 egg From the th latter a worm 01 or cater cater- caterpIllar caterpillar caterpillar pillar is hatched The caterpillar when mature enters the chrysalis s stage And finally from the chrysalis emel the winged and perfect insect Nowadays many houses are arc built wIth one or more closets lined with red cedar the tho odor of which Is supposed to te repe repel clothes moths It is one of the th ne newest est Id ideas as in domiciliary luxury The depart depart- department department ment stores bell great numbers of 1 wed ed cedar chests to hold clothing The heart- heart v t yv k N Yes a J Ja Jrp a rp y F FM Fh M r h u J L c e S N p e f l I f r ri i- i irV 3 rV r wood wood of red cedar cedar is strongly 11 I aromatic its odor being due to toa Iii I 3 a Ea pale reddish-brown reddish Vf Ir 1 it E oil 1 W Waste of pencil d factories 2 d f Js which use u e red cedar in m im rm immense A Arlt a t r rin mense qu quantities is employed 1 in the manufacture of paper for wrapping woolens fur etc ete tl k a ab ay fI b y Y Yr h t t r I the useI So far as usefulness use- use I IN iw r jJ of the tho chests IS if I concerned the lh it r i govern govern- government rl ll lla ment experts have made ya ivr i i irl l Jj II i ill h h h 1 a thorough e e peri l t t 1 4 C y b m mental Inquiry and andt t 1 1 lf M t tx 1 x 1 the conclusion drawn is cs that at their value for do- do deJ de r iI J rs J 11 I 1 o 1 doSs Ss a 6 a 1 wi I Ir I 1 1 I IJ if J 1 IV IVi J i t l against moths t ta ta I i 5 r lies hes chiefly in to the th fact isA A I 4 yr- yr that they are very sere I ery l St I t i y RAJ fl i f t tightly I g h t l I y constructed r 4 t C 0 t n with lids that fit close close- closely closely i j 71 j jJ J 1 I r rp ly Iy In which respect O 1 p they dIffer from 01 boxes boes or lr T A greatly e e t en trunks Pinewood chests would serve the tho gr 1 lar ed edview view I purpose equally well if as tightly mado and if a few ounces of flake lene of the carpet or moth balls were were about m- m in beetle also ako known as al t the buffalo side bug Experiments have hll proved that red cedar has no effect upon the moths In Inthe inthe inthe the winged stage which can live lave liv in a chest of that wood for weeks and lay theIr eggs And the eggs will hatch But moth worms hatched in a cedar cheat chet invariably die before they can start stall tal tall airy mischief To that extent the cedar chest is use use- useful useful ful and the same sams is presumably true of the cedar cedar closet But if furs or fabrics already infested by moth worms are placed in the th chest the little caterpillars will go right ahead and cat eat The cedar does not scon selm to bother them at all al Usually associated with tho the clothes moth in desh destructive work is the com com- common common common mon carpet beetle or buffalo bufalo bug The adult is Ib i a tiny beetle a quarter of an anInch aninch aninch Inch long its offspring the hungry grub grubis lS is reddish brown in color clothed with Ith sun stiff hairs and with a long tuft of hairs at the tho tail end This highly objectionable insect 11 was as first imported into the United United States from Europe about 1874 It was a much more serious pest when hen carpets in near near- nearly nearly ly Iy all houses were tacked down Hidden beneath eath thorn thom a and d thus left undisturbed bed bedfor month for man many months the th bug bus had hod plenty of time to raise a family Its depredations are conked by irregular hole holes hold and espe espe- especially especially Ly Iy slits lits that that loll that followed followed owed clacks clocks Polished floors and rugs have nave done dOM much to lessen the damage done don by the carpet beetle But But unfortunate unfortunately it is perfectly at home hem in upholstered furni lurn furniture ture and it attacks silks woolens furs feathers rs and bristles Flake Flak naphtha naphthalene lene lens or camphor is effective against it in 10 trunks and closets but if a house honse lions be bad bad- badly badly badly ly infested by buffalo bugs bug nothing short of fumigation with disulphide of carbon will destroy them s I From Germany there came cam recently the report of the tho discovery of a 1 way to toc c check eck the tho ravages of moths and carpet beetles by adding to the dyes dye used a certain chemical which while whale entirely harmless to the th fabrics fabric is deadly to these thesa insect pests Further details of this 1 reported die dis discovery covery cry are aro ar being eagerly awaited for fer such sueh a thing would be a priceless boon to housewives house I v |
